Unifor members with Resolute Forest Products have voted 89.5% in favour of a new four-year contract.
The deal covers unionized workers in northwestern Ontario and Eastern Canada sawmills, oriented strand board mills, pulp and paper and woodlands operations.
However, it is being called a pattern agreement that will be matched at other regional operations including Domtar, Interfor in Ear Falls and West Fraser in Barwick.
The deal with Resolute covers 1,100 members of Unifor but in total nearly 15,000 members will be impacted by the model contract in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic provinces.
Stephen Boon is the National Representative in Dryden and says, “We commend the hard work of the Unifor bargaining committee at Resolute Forest Products in establishing a solid industry pattern for Eastern Canada mills and woodlands operations. High inflation rates have eaten into our members’ wages while at the same time, area mills have enjoyed record profits. This new pattern is in line with strong economic climate facing the industry and will help ensure a fair portion of these strong industry earnings are shared with Unifor members across the region.”
Highlights include salary increases, the establishment of a Women’s Representative in each plant and significant enhancements to group benefits:
-Over the 4-year term of the agreement, salary adjustments in the order of $2.50/hour for members in the production industry (all job classes including stationers) and adjustments of $3.50/hour for members in the trades;
-Salary increases of 3% in the first year, $1.30/hour in the 2nd, 3% in the 3rd and $1.30/hour in the last;
-In total, these amounts represent average increases of between 20% and 24%;
-The establishment of a Women’s Representative in each plant;
-Maintaining preventative health and safety provisions and practices (despite setbacks in Quebec);
-Significant enhancements to group benefits (vision, dental, life and long-term disability);
-Night and Evening Shift Premium increased by $0.10/hour;
-Third week of vacation after 2 years of service;
-Double time for Sunday overtime after 4 hours;
-Union release of 30 minutes to meet new members;
Boone says there are many other gains and the model contract for the paper industry allows for items such as wages, benefits and pensions to be negotiated at a common table.
He adds once the model is bargained, it serves as a basis for negotiation with all other employers in the forest industry.
